How far does wind push an arrow?
Full-value (90°) crosswind drift for a representative 285 fps hunting arrow, in inches:
| Distance | 5 mph | 10 mph | 15 mph | 20 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yd | 0.3" | 0.6" | 0.9" | 1.1" |
| 30 yd | 0.6" | 1.3" | 1.9" | 2.6" |
| 40 yd | 1.1" | 2.3" | 3.4" | 4.6" |
| 50 yd | 1.8" | 3.6" | 5.3" | 7.1" |
| 60 yd | 2.6" | 5.1" | 7.7" | 10.2" |
| 70 yd | 3.5" | 7" | 10.5" | 13.9" |
| 80 yd | 4.6" | 9.1" | 13.7" | 18.2" |
| 90 yd | 5.8" | 11.5" | 17.3" | 23" |
| 100 yd | 7.1" | 14.2" | 21.3" | 28.5" |
Two rules fall straight out of the physics. Drift is roughly linear in wind speed — double the wind, double the drift. And it's roughly quadratic in distance — double the distance, four times the drift. A 10 mph crosswind that you'd barely notice at 30 yards (1.3") is a missed vitals shot at 80 (9–10").
Half-value winds
Wind rarely blows exactly 90° to your shot. Multiply the table by the sine of the wind angle: a 45° quartering wind is ~70% of full value; a 30° wind is half value. A pure head- or tailwind drifts essentially nothing sideways (it changes drop slightly instead).
What changes drift the most?
Vane choice and helical dominate (more steering surface = more drift), then arrow speed (faster = less time exposed), then diameter. Heavy micro-diameter builds with small vanes drift the least — it's the main reason Western hunters shoot them.
FAQ
How much does a 10 mph crosswind move an arrow at 60 yards?
Around 5 inches of full-value drift for a typical 285 fps hunting arrow — enough to slide a perfect hold out of the vitals. At 30 yards the same wind is only ~1.3".
Should I aim off or dial for wind?
Bowhunters hold off — wind changes too fast to dial. Learn your setup's 10 mph number at your max range and scale from there.
These numbers are validated
Every table on this page comes from the same trajectory engine that powers The Forge — validated cell-by-cell against Precision Cut Archery's published charts (mean agreement 0.06–0.12 yd across the full ±60° envelope) and against real chronograph data. We publish our methods and our version history — see how we test.